Tuckered Out-house Tour -- Part 1

We've been working so hard on our new house. The downstairs is finally finished and it looks fantastic. Many thanks to my awesome parents for all of their help sewing, hanging pictures and light fixtures, re-arranging furniture, taping trim, and everything in between! Thanks to decorator extraordinaire Diane for helping with the cornices and an eye for all things aesthetic. A big thanks also to my brother-in-law Jason for his electrical expertise and my Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Bud for help with the chairs and giving us our fabulous bar.

Oh, and a heck of a big thank you to Graham for putting up with all of my crazy ideas. I know you were okay with the brass fan and fireplace, the striped wall paper, and the dark green walls, but I was NOT! Thanks for going along with all of it and being such a good sport. I promise you will not hear the words "fabric", "light fixture", or "paint" for at least 6 months. Okay, well at least 3 or 4.

Unfortunately before and after isn't really possible anymore because the realtor finally took down the page with the previous owners' pictures. Take my word for it...everything is a major improvement.

This is the dining room. New paint, chandelier (previous post), window treatments, and accessories.

Here is one of my beautiful cornice boards. I saw this fabric on a sofa in a magazine and through the magic of the world wide web (and my super stalking skills) I tracked it down. I've carried a swatch of it in my purse for months, so you've probably seen it at some point or another. Here is the opposite cornice board in the living room. This fabric was much more difficult to decide on. Mom and I have been to every fabric store on this side of town and I still couldn't find anything that was just right. I came across this fabric on Friday afternoon and it was love at first sight. It was on the wall by Saturday morning. I have a pair of Grandma and Granddaddy Krauth's wing chairs (see below). They date back to at least the 40's and were in pretty good shape. My uncle tried unsuccessfully to sell them at a yard sale and there were no takers (the fabric and skirt might have had something to do with it). I hated to see anything of my Grandmother's leave the family, so I reluctantly took them. Aunt Marilyn took them to her upholsterer and he worked his magic restoring them (sans skirt).

Before

After

The pictures on this wall in the living room were Snooks' (maternal grandmother). Mom and I worked on the table cloth and Diane made the cute pillow for me.

One last look!

We've got a few finishing touches and pictures to hang, but it will all be finished by next weekend. Part two coming soon (kitchen, den, and patio)!